26/10/2026
Lesson learned: it pays to have a project manager on a refurb.
On bigger developments, people spend more on project managers to avoid the shenanigans that happen towards the end of a refurb.
At the start, everything looks good. The studs go up, the windows and roof are repaired or replaced, and the first fixes are in place.
Then, as you get to the end of the project, everything needs to come together so the finished result matches the plan, and this is where things go wrong. If you're managing it yourself, builders can push the timescale out, miss important work and drag out the snagging.
A project manager costs money, but the saving in stress and arguments with the builder frees up time to think about the next deal, and that is worth more than the fee.